Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke suffered a fracture to his left (non-throwing) collarbone Thursday night when he tried to tackle Carlos Quentin of the San Diego Padres during a brawl.

The Dodgers announced the injury after the game, a 3-2 LA victory at San Diego's Petco Park. It's not known how long Greinke will be out. Greinke's arm was placed in a sling, and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Greinke will return to Los Angeles to be examined by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Friday.

Zack Greinke, second from left, and Carlos Quentin tumble to the turf. Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis has a hold of Quentin. (AP Photo)

Greinke was hurt as he lowered his shoulder into Quentin, who charged the mound in the sixth inning after being hit in the left shoulder by a Greinke pitch. Quentin came out after Greinke apparently said something to him; the pitch itself was on a 3-2 count and with the Dodgers leading, 2-1.

Greinke told reporters he wasn't throwing at Quentin, but declined to say whether he incited him with a comment.

"I've never thought about hitting him on purpose," said Greinke, who has now hit Quentin three times dating to their days in the American League.

Quentin strongly suggested that the comments were the "last straw" in his feud with Greinke and led him to go out to the mound.

"Like I said, there is a history there, which is the reason I reacted like I did. Who knows what happens if he doesn't say anything or if he motions that it wasn't intentional?" Quentin told reporters.

Quentin, Greinke, Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp and Dodgers utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. were ejected after the brawl. Hairston triggered a second incident when he ran toward the Padres' dugout before being restrained by Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso and teammates A.J. Ellis and Skip Schumaker. Hairston told reporters he was angry that the Padres were laughing about Greinke's injury.

Quentin and Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp also had to be separated outside the teams' locker rooms after the game.

Kemp was angry after finding out the severity of Greinke's injury.

"I'm asking Greinke if he's OK and he said his shoulder's messed up. That kind of took me over the edge right there," Kemp said.

Mattingly told reporters that Quentin, who dives toward the plate and has been hit more often than any other major league hitter since the start of the 2008 season, showed "zero understanding of the game of baseball" if he thought Greinke was throwing at him.

"A 2-1 game and we're trying to hit him (with a) 3-2 (count)? That's just stupid, that's what it is," Mattingly said. "He should not play a game until Greinke can pitch (again). If he plays before Greinke pitches, something's wrong."

Greinke is in the first year of a six-year, $147 million contract he signed in the offseason.

The Dodgers and Padres will be able to settle any scores quickly; they're scheduled to begin a series Monday night in Los Angeles. Quentin said he'll be ready for whatever the Dodgers try to do.

"I will just continue to play how I've always played. If there's retaliation, there is," he told reporters.